Iran, Europe, Israel, Syria and the State of Things

 

Allow us to start with a direct quote from Giulio Meotti’s article titled, “Europe has chosen disgrace” where he stated referring to Europe as a whole, “It has no interest in Israel. Indeed, I will say more: in their intimate thoughts, in their “mental deal”, most Europeans think that Israel, the country most at risk from a nuclearized Iran, is a burden, and that the Middle East would be more peaceful without a Jewish State.” At this point, we need to place a disclaimer, we really do not hate France and we are using someone else’s material and we do have to agree that France did provide the largest target of recent history of anti-Israel bias. Quoting from deeper in Giulio Meotti’s article, we find the following list.

-in 1967, when De Gaulle made the pro-Arab choice and applied an embargo to Israel:
-during the Intifada, when the Israelis were slaughtered on buses and the French ambassador in London Daniel Bernard called Israel “that little country of s….t”;
-with Saddam Hussein, when France ran to sell him missiles and nuclear technology;
-with Arafat, treated like a king by Mitterrand and who died in Paris:
-with Valéry Giscard d’Estaing who granted asylum to Khomeini in Paris;
-with the Jews killed in the French suburbs and the French authorities unable to protect them.

One last quote from the article and then we will add our commentary. Giulio Meotti further reports, “The day after the US left the nuclear agreement with Iran, trying to build a Western alliance to stop Iranian expansionism, French President Macron called Iranian President Rouhani on the phone with the aim of ‘continuing to implement the nuclear agreement and to maintain regional stability’”

 

France aside, Germany, Britain and much of Europe allowing the European Union to all agree that business with Iran is far more important than siding with some American cowboy businessman and his insult to his predecessor’s efforts to reach the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) which, as far as the European powers are concerned, is a simply perfect agreement which at least delays the Iranian nuclear program. Anyways, the Iranian nuclear program is no threat to Europe, they chant “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” and not Death to Europe. Iran is doing business with the Europeans and everybody is sharing technology and making profits and getting what they desire from one another. Sure, some of the goods being exchanged could be adapted for use in the production of advanced nuclear devices, but the treaty will prevent that, so what could possibly be the harm. The Europeans are once again doing business with the greatest evil governance on the planet under the illusion that it would never target them, there is an agreement. Some places never learn from history, something which appears to be a problem the world over. At least our readers know of the foreboding warning given by writer and philosopher George Santayana, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” So, where can we go from such a beginning?

 

Map of the European Union

 

There is the entirety of the mess in Syria which has much to do with Iran. Without the assistance of Iran, Bashir al-Assad would have been removed from power as the Russians would have simply reached an agreement with one of the dissident groups, be they Sunnis or Kurds, and in return for retaining their airstrip and naval ports, they would have allowed one to form a new government. Russia might have even permitted the breaking up of Syria into three separate nations allowing the Alawites to retain governance over their areas, the Druze to rule their mountainous regions, the Kurds to join with the Kurds in Iraq and form a new Kurdistan and the Sunni to have their own governance. Such an agreement would have ended the Syrian debacle and shut down its meat-grinder and made the region safer for many of the refugees and desperate people remaining within Syria to return and rebuild their homes and cities.

 

The problem is Iran requires that they have complete control over all of Syria such that they have a route direct from Iran through Iraq and Syria to Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea. So, it was at the insistence of Iran that all of Syria had to be brought back into their fold and under the rule of Bashir al-Assad and the Alawite Shiite Islamic power base. Russia could have lived with an agreement with the Alawites by exchanging Russian protection of their western region and coastal Syria for using the ports to service the Russian Mediterranean and Atlantic fleets and their airstrip assuring them they would also retain Damascus. Russia and the Alawites along with al-Assad would have even gained the support of the United States had they gone for such a solution. Europe would have been less taxed as the numbers of refugees would have been reduced significantly. The only country which gains by continuing the civil war in Syria is Iran and their insistence for ruling all of Syria through their puppet al-Assad so they have a direct route to the Mediterranean and to the Israeli northern border. It is the Iranians attempt to become the hegemonic power lording over the entirety of the Middle East and using this as their power base in order to spread their power even further. This is where the Europeans are making their mistaken assumptions that the Iranians have no designs on Europe in their future. The Mullahs of Iran have designs not only on Europe, but on every corner of the globe, as their eventual rule, according to the Quran, will be the entirety of the world. The only variable is how long this conquest will take and that will depend upon their first two apparent targets, Israel and the United States.

 

Another item which should be pointed out is that Europe is anything but a monolithic culture or has any political uniformity. There is a definitive demarcation line dividing the culture and body politic within Europe and it can be drawn between the Warsaw Pact nations which emerged from the rule of the Soviet Union and the older nations of Western Europe. Where Western Europe is largely secular humanist, Eastern Europe has had a resurgence of their religious base which they had been denied for so long. Even Russia has been experiencing a resurgence of the Russian Orthodox Church. These Eastern European nations largely refused to accept the refugees from the Middle East and North Africa between a combination of refusal to permit their entrance to having military assure that they travelled straight through in the trains and left on the farthest border. Many of the refugees were passed in such manner from one Eastern European country to the next until the refugees could be dumped in Germany. This was great as far as many of the refugees were concerned as their target nations of choice were Germany and Sweden with France and Britain following initially. Soon after BREXIT, the British conservative government of Theresa May closed their border to the refugees to limit their influence and numbers. Should she be replaced by the leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, we can expect that decision to be reversed, to the detriment of Britain. This European split is further born witness as the Scandinavian countries are suffering from a similar malaise as the Western Europeans as they too have adopted the secular humanistic vision and socialist polity, a seeming disease with horrific consequences. There is one problem which extends throughout Europe, reproductive rates well below replacement rate. Replacement rate is defined US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health as, “In developed countries, replacement level fertility can be taken as requiring an average of 2.1 children per woman. In countries with high infant and child mortality rates, however, the average number of births may need to be much higher.” The European levels of reproduction range from below to well below the required rates to provide sufficient replacement levels (see chart below). For a socialist based economy, low reproductive rates are a death knell, as such governance requires, at a minimum, replacement level reproduction and works best while the population is increasing. As long as there are more workers than retired people and others dependent on government welfare, then the socialist economy is possible, even if not necessarily desirable. The lack of reproduction at replacement levels pressures governments to open the borders for immigration to provide the needed and necessary workers. Problems arise if the immigrants who arrive are unaccustomed to the work ethic at the center of the Judeo-Christian ethics, as they simply add to the welfare rolls and making the economic challenges even greater and possibly far too formidable to overcome.

 

Population Statistics for Europe

 

Europe’s sagging economies which are barely, if even, meeting their financial requirements which was part of the reason so many had all but their contractual obligations to support the NATO treaty. President Trump made a demand that the Europeans remember and honor their obligations if they desired remaining in NATO. President Trump, contrary to the claims of his detractors, has gathered advisors who also see the future challenges looming larger and larger on the distant horizons. The winds are blowing in just such a way that unless care is taken, then there may be some very dark clouds troubling the world all too soon. The initial targets may not be as they seem. Iran has lately tested the mettle of the Israelis with a barrage of rockets launched by their Quds Force. The Israeli response was swift and definitive. The response came the next morning from Tehran where Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stated, Iran does not want “new tensions” in the Middle East. Rouhani told German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a telephone call, according to a statement on the website of Iran’s presidency and quoted by AFP and Arutz Sheva, “Iran has always sought to reduce tensions in the region, trying to strengthen security and stability.” What Rouhani did not bother to inform anybody, though he knows the Supreme Leader’s thoughts on the issue, stability in the Middle East to Iran would mean that Iran ruled the entirety and were working towards expanding beyond either into North Africa or across Europe. This is why the basic assumptions of the European Union and the Western European and Scandinavian nations that the Iran treaty is simply all that is required to contain Iranian ambitions. The Europeans simply ignore the broadcasts from Tehran and reports coming from cities across Iran of crowds chanting “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” as simple boasting for internal consumption. They tell themselves that all the bluster is simple nonsense and, after all, such things are of no concern to the Europeans, they are above such things as waring and fighting as their societies have evolved and taken the world into the age of treaties and talking out differences. To the Europeans, nobody would resort to waging wars anymore as World War I and World War II and atomic weapons have made war something obsolete and too awful to even contemplate. Further, the Europeans are so sure of their knowledge of the world that they are betting their lives, their culture, their future and the peace of the world on it. That begs the question, what if they are wrong?

 

From here forward, unless some drastic changes come over what many call Old Europe, the remainder of history will be written without their input and very possibly their consent. The age of Europe leading the world have waned and their light has dimmed. This, at least, is the belief of New Persia, the identity which the leadership of Iran has taken. They believe that Europe is an empty land full of people with no stomach for conflict. They believe they are using Russia bending President Putin to their will in Syria. Here, there is more than a modicum of truth to their reasoning. Russian President Putin has sought to find some means of extracting the Russian forces thus far withdrawing them to protecting their naval bases and their airfield. They are no longer working to combat the enemies of al-Assad, as the Islamic State has become something that forces allied with the United States are mopping up the remainder. There are no longer any threats which Russia needs commit herself to defeating in Syria as the Syria conflict has become an Iranian war. Iran is fighting the Syrian War, the Yemen War, remains of the Iraq War, Sistan-Baluchestan insurgency and some other intra-Iranian conflicts. The coming conflicts will largely come from objectives as set out by the Iranian hunger to gain their hegemony. This is the reality which all too many have chosen to ignore. Those who are not ignoring it, many are simply unprepared to face the reality and unwilling to take the needful steps to make a difference, and, lastly, the few who have seen the coming challenges are being belittled and pecked at by media and left wing subversions. These false fronts crowd the real news off the pages and from the newscasts leaving much of the world’s public completely uninformed. The future conflicts will initially not even be considered worthy of coverage by the media unless they can be spun against Israel or President Trump. This will allow those desiring to commit mischief the freedom to do so all the while moving towards their desired ends. When things reach the fevered pitch making them unavoidable and are thus reported upon, they will claim that everything came out of nowhere and would never have become this way if only the correct people had been elected. This will be the beginning of the next great deception, something we will talk of more in the future. For now, watch Iran, Russia and the Middle East. There will be two other nations of interest which may have much to offer in the future, India and China as they are rising powers who have the luxury of time.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

A New Type Arab-Israeli War is Brewing

 

Everyone who knows anything about the Middle East knows about the Arab-Israeli conflict. There have been a number of wars where initially the Arab powers themselves, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the rest of the Arab League fought against Israel attempting to erase the Jewish State. Recently, we once again related just a few of the prophesies which actually predict the reestablishment of the Jewish State, Israel, in 1948 and how its growth and return to following the ways of Hashem and rebuilding his Temple would be a slow process. The Arabs are intent on proving that Allah is more powerful than Hashem and that Allah will once and for all extinguish Hashem from ever existing in their Middle East. Well, the old alliance which consisted largely of the nations above has finally been pressured by threats within Islam in putting aside their obsession with Israel, at least temporarily. But that is where the new problem comes for Israel. The new threat comes not from a purely Arab nation but from an old foe from deep into the history of the Jewish State, Persia. Yes, you read that right, Persia, known today as the Islamic Aryan State, Iran. They chose to name their country using the Farsi pronunciation of Aryan, Iran, and they are the new nemesis for Israel.

 

So, who will be in this new Iranian alignment against Israel, who claims to be the Islamic power that will inforce the will of Allah and destroy Israel, the Jewish State and remove the influence of Hashem from their Middle East? Iran will be the general using their proxies of Hezballah and Syria along with Lebanon, Iraq and Hamas with a potential inclusion of the Palestinian Authority who will join under their PLO terrorist nom de guerre (see map below). The war has already begun. Oddly enough, it was not anything Israel has done or not done that is pushing things faster towards conflict, it has been President Trump. When President Trump recognized Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel and began and soon will dedicate the new American Embassy being opened in Jerusalem, this is what dropped the proverbial gauntlet. President Trump has also placed his confidence and trust behind Israel by respecting their independence as a nation and reminding the world that Israel, as is true of every nation, has the right to defend themselves from all threats by whatever means are required. President Trump through that recognition also implied a promise to block United Nations Security Council condemnation of any legal defensive steps which Israel finds necessary to protect her people and nationhood. For his faith and friendship, Israel worked with the United States being advised and shared with them the treasure trove of records, information and definitive proof of Iranian cheating in all forms breaking their commitments under the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) reached with the P5+1+EU and Iran. The bond between President Trump and the Jewish State is very similar to the bond between the American People, especially those who supported Trump’s campaign, and Israel. There should be one warning for the Jewish State, President Trump will only be President for a fixed period, four years or eight years, the American People will hopefully make that choice, and after him, the possibilities are complex, complicated and nearly endless. Israel believed that they had a friend in President Carter only to later realize the harms he attempted to foist upon Israel such as returning the entirety of Gaza, the Shomron, and the Golan Heights as part of the treaty with Egypt. This almost had Egypt ready to leave the negotiations. Fortunately, Sadat and Begin worked beyond and around President Carter quietly and without causing him political harm allowing them to reach the agreement despite interference. Then we found out that President Carter was not the worst which could be placed into the American Presidency. We could find out that there are even worse surprises and that is one reason for Israel to make do with the opportunities of which she can currently take advantage.

 

Iranian Axis Aligned Against Israel

 

The conflict with Iran and her allies and proxies has been being waged for a few years ever since the first war with Hezballah in Lebanon. Since then Hezballah has gone from a terrorist group anchored in Lebanon to the main ruling force in Lebanon and now controls the Lebanese Army and all that entails. The war escalated just the past week as we discussed recently with the Quds Force launching at least twenty rockets at the Israeli forces and citizens stationed and residing within the region of the Golan Heights. Iron Dome intercepted many of the rockets, some fell short in Syria and others struck empty areas. Israel returned attack for attack striking numerous Iranian and Hezballah rocket launchers, stockpiles and other bases within Syria. The largest threat is any Iranian ICBMs tipped with thermonuclear or EMP weapons. Just behind those are the over one-hundred-fifty-thousand rockets and missiles of varying sizes, capabilities and range of effectiveness held by Hezballah in the Bekaa Valley and Southern Lebanon. These have been placed with Hezballah by Iran to be an existential threat to Israel. One can be assured that Israeli Intelligence knows the placement of the vast majority of those rockets and missiles. Imagine that a nation would arm a terrorist group with sufficient missiles and rockets to annihilate eight and a half million people consisting of over six-million Jews, over one and a half million Muslims, almost two-hundred-thousand Christians, almost one-hundred-fifty-thousand Druze and over three-hundred-fifty-thousand of various other faiths or no faiths plus whatever numbers of tourists. That is the level of evil within the leaders of Iran as well as a measure of their hate for Israel and Jews in general. Additionally, Iran has a similar loathing for the United States and honestly has been planning numerous differing scenarios with which to destroy America and replace them as the world leader. Iran is willing to almost destroy the world and everybody in it if that is what is required for them to be the rulers of the planet and to make Shia Islam the sole religion. They are willing to destroy the rest of Islam, all of Sunni Islam, if they cannot be converted and the same convert or die ultimatum is what Iran desires to impose on the entirety of our world. Their plans span all the time into the future and will not be quenched by anything less than complete victory over everything and everyone. This is how the Ayatollahs interpret Islam and the Quran.

 

Israel is the initial target which Iran aims to destroy first. Their next target would likely be Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States. Then they would probably set their sights on Jordan and Egypt. Eventually they would target even those who might be their ally for a period such as Turkey. Eventually they would target Europe and move from the MENA states of the Middle East and North Africa and move south across the remainder of the African continent. Iran has a base in South America where the IRGC and other terrorists train and plan future attacks located in the Tri-Border Region along the junction of Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil, where the Iguazú and Paraná rivers converge. From such a base with airstrips, the Iranian conquest of the Americas could be planned and brought to fruition. What the exact order of conquest the Grand Ayatollah and Supreme Leader of Iran and presumably all of Shia Islam has in mind is beyond our knowledge. We can be fairly sure that Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States, Jordan and Israel top the list after they finish reestablishing their puppet Bashir al-Assad atop his throne in Syria. The other side of the problem is that should he be called to Allah and the Assembly of Experts then appoints a new Supreme Leader, despite the office presumably enforcing the will of Allah on Earth, the new Supreme Leader just might have a different plan for imposing Shia Islam on the world. The next Supreme Leader might decide not to take on Saudi Arabia, Jordan or the Gulf States as one of the most immediate conquests, but we can assure the world that Israel will still top the list with the United States closely behind. The masses who assemble every Friday afternoon after prayers in the main square of Tehran have worked so hard at perfecting their chants of, “Death to Israel,” “Death to Yahud,” and “Death to America,” that to try and alter their rhythm might prove quite a strain on the public.

 

But not to worry, President Trump has his plan on how to affect change in Iran. According to the New York Times, “President Trump has given full-throated support to the anti-government protesters in Iran.” There are numerous other sources touting this largely as the one nice thing they can say and then advising him that everything he does is wrong. Have to love the mainstream media, always just a few steps off of the straight and narrow and leaning way to the left. Meanwhile, according to Arutz Sheva and Mark Langfan, “Trump and Mattis are carrying out a grand strategy in Syria. Kurds and Arabs have formed a pincer that prevents Iran’s road to the sea and it will soon be apparent that everyone, except Iran, is in favor.” That just might put a kink in their Shiite Crescent (see map below). The only problem with this plan is that Iran could always fly what they require into Damascus International Airport or any other airfield in western Syria. The other question would be how long the Kurds and Arabs in eastern Syria could hold out against Russian air power and al-Assad using barrel bombs and chemical weapons. The thing is that al-Assad does not care about the people, civilian or fighters are all the same to him, targets. As far as the retaliatory strikes by NATO or just the United States and Israel, what does al-Assad care, Iran will resupply him. About the only threat which might have al-Assad worrying is the threat Israel has made to possibly kill al-Assad. Imagine that right now, al-Assad may be counting on President Trump to convince Israel that killing al-Assad would prove unhelpful. We cannot imagine what argument could possibly be made to support that position, but that just may be what al-Assad is currently having to depend. Sometimes life can be so stressful, just imagine having Israel threaten you and depending on President Trump to argue your cause.

 

Shiite Crescent including Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Iran

 

Concluding, Iran is currently the threat in this world and to a large number of nations. The world sits around pretending that the only real problem is Israel when they know that it is Israel standing between them and serious threats. They rely on the fact that Israel is target one for Iran, especially throughout Europe where they have enough problems. The only nation which faces an equal threat from Iran as Israel logistically is Saudi Arabia, as Iran would dearly love to take the oil fields in northeast Saudi Arabia as well as the Red Sea coastal area which include Mecca and Medina. That would be approximately where the star is in the map above, which is almost prophetic in nature as it denoted the jewel in the equation. Should Iran take the oil fields they would gain an incorruptible economy and if they should take Mecca and Medina, they could claim the right as Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. This would also remove the justification the Saudi Royal family has used as their fig leaf covering their actions as the title infers great respect and without the title, they might face a revolt. This would also serve Iran well as they might use such an uprising as their invitation to take over all of Saudi Arabia or at least place a leader who is a follower of Shia Islam. Further, causing problems for Saudi Arabia would weaken the position of the United States should Saudi Arabia become unstable. There is one last fly in the ointment, and that is Russia. Currently Russia is being used by Iran to reestablish their hold on Syria and this is making problems for Putin back home as the war drags on and continues to drain their economy. Further, Iran and Russia are not exactly historically allies in any sense of the word. This has mostly to do with the long memories of the Persian People and the wars fought between the Russian Empire and the Persian Empire over the years. Iran actually still holds a grudge which eventually they will act upon, the only question being when. Do not think for a minute that the Russians do not remember these conflicts as they probably do not sit well with many Russians any better than with the Iranians. This would be an entire article for some history buff and will only serve here as our final thought.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

When the Good Are Leaderless

 

This week has proven how absolutely horrific the world scene can turn when the Western governments are leaderless and not only do not have a policy but don’t even have a clue. The United States State Department has released statements explaining their expectations that Secretary of State Kerry will hold meetings with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during the ceremonies this week at the United Nations to discuss the situation in Syria, to discuss what role the United States might play towards stabilizing the situation and combatting the Islamic State. This is the end result of Washington leading from behind. The full ramifications has yet to even begin to play out as to the far reaching effects of the surrender of any leading role by the United States over the past six plus years of the Obama foreign policy. Further tokens being cashed due to the lack of American presence, let alone leadership, will be the handing of seventy-five Russian tanks from Syrian forces to Hezballah in order for the latter to form a core around which to build an armored division. These tanks will be T-55 and T-72 models which make them outdated compared with the United States Abrams or the more modern Israeli Merkava IV tanks currently deployed by the two Western militaries, but when compared to no such force these are a definitive step up towards fulfilling the Hezballah desire to field heavy armor units. Further there are plans for Russian and Iranian tank commanders to train Hezballah in the best tactics and use of these assets. This news comes fast on the heels of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu meeting with Russian President Putin in Moscow where Netanyahu received Putin’s guarantee that Russian forces currently being deployed in Syria were there to provide a positive influence and not to alter the balance of power. This news of the gifting of heavy main battle tanks, no matter how dated, to Hezballah is not what one might call having no deleterious effects on the current balance of power.

 

United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, top American negotiator for the Iranian nuclear deal, was quoted according to The Associated Press on Friday that the Obama administration is ready to open a dialogue with Iran about the situation in Syria. This comes on the heels with an Administration signaling their readiness to soften their position on the requirement for Bahir al-Assad to be removed from power in any progress in ending the carnage on the ground in Syria. Additionally the Administration has fully admitted their having no priorities nor plans for addressing the Islamic State and that the United States was taking a back seat and simply providing assistance behind the clearer vision provided by Iran and Russia as to what will be the most advantageous manner in which to address the Islamic State. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reportedly made it patently clear to America in the past that their assisting in taking the lead in fighting the Islamic State was predicated on their continued support for al-Assad and that the United States demands for his removal were a dead issue. It now appears that the Obama Administration is ready and willing to surrender on this issue and will be satisfied to once again to lead from behind.

 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has made it clear previously stating, “The United States’ ‘obsession’ with Assad isn’t helping in the common fight against the threat from Islamic State… People put the fate of one person whom they hate above the fight against terrorism. Islamic State can go ‘very far’ unless stopped, and air strikes alone are not going to do the trick. If people continue to acquiesce with what is going on and continue to acquiesce with those who categorically refuse to start the political process until Bashar Assad disappears, then I’m not very optimistic for the future of this region…”

 

 

There is a Storm Brewing and the Time Has Come to Simply Ride the Storm Out

 

 

That is as straight a manner of stating that in Syria things will be done as benefits Russia if anything is to be done with their taking the lead. This was as definitive a ‘my way or the highway’ get ‘out of town’ reading of the riot act and exactly what can be expected from President Putin as a reaction to the complete lack of United States initiative. This lack of United States policy is a large part responsible for why Egypt and Israel have both had to meet with Russia’s Putin to receive any assurances that the plans for the Middle East were not planning on eclipsing their future and stake in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Still, this lack of leadership by the United States will leave Israel in a compromised position for as long as she remains beholden to the United States as her life raft. Perhaps it would have been wiser for Israel to have read the tea leaves and departed Obama back when doing so had advantages which are no longer in play.

 

 

 

 

The best path left for Israel is to watch the upcoming elections in the United States with great interest and care and plan for either eventuality when the results are in. It would be unwise to aggravate an already untenable and shaky situation any further and probably best to attempt to prevent any further daylight to come between the allies and hope to ride the storm out. In the meantime Prime Minister Netanyahu should prepare to defend his attitude when opposition forces within the Israeli government such as Yair Lapid make as much out of this delicate balancing act. The one advantage for Netanyahu is that the Israeli electorate more than likely trust Lapid even less than they do Bibi. The one truth is that Bibi has attached his wagon to the United States and declared his decision to ride out the remaining year and a half in order to see what makes its way into the White House starting January of 2017. Bibi is betting that closer relations will become presentable with the next administration and the Israeli public appears to be along for the ride for now. This could result in a bumpy ride and make for an interesting next election cycle in Israel. Until then it is batten down the hatches and keep on riding the storm out.

 

Beyond the Cusp